The Okie Legacy
Oakie's Heart To Heart

14 July 2001, Vol. III, Iss. 28

A Wonderful Challenge...

"At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from DeMoines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons--something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a protégée. Though, I have taught some talented students. However I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils....." -- by Mildred Hondorf

Ooops! I have fallen for a Hoax!

"Linda, The first time I saw this story I looked in two Murrah building memorial books with the lists of casualties. I couldn't find a 'Robbie' that fit this letter. There were Roberts, Bobs, most were older men, probably not in Desert Storm. There weren't any young military men with a Robert name variation. I find some stories in my email that I am real skeptical about. I like to track them down with a unique word or phrase from the stories in a search mechanism like alltheweb.com." - Sharon

Hondorf, Mildred - The Lie... "There is no record of a Mildred Hondorf, but if she existed, and she was a school teacher, surely she could spell 'Des Moines' (the spelling has been corrected in some versions of the lie, but it was misspelled as we've shown it in the original). The Mozart concerto in question is known for being exceptionally difficult; we have found one report of a public performance by a 10-year-old, but it is beyond credulity to believe that an 11-year-old with mediocre piano skills could learn it that well in a matter of weeks, without a teacher, and with a deaf mother, and play like that on the night of her death. Four men named Robert were killed in the bombing, but there is no report of anyone playing the piano, nor would it be likely in a federal office building at the time of the bombing, 9:02 on a Wednesday morning. As far as can be determined, only one of those four men served in the Gulf War, and that one was killed, not in the Murrah Building, but in a building across the street."

Urban Legands Reference Pages: Glurge Gallery (Music to my Ears)

Oakie's NW Corner...

Whew! The temperatures have been rising across Oklahoma for the "Dog Days of July." It has been a scorcher this week in NW Oklahoma with that high pressure front that has been hanging over the state and not even jet stream to bring us any movement of relief until around Wednesday or Thursday. The "Dog Days" of Summer have finally arrived with temperatures soaring as high as 108+.

Of course, I was around for it until Wednesday morning when my horse farm business took me out of town and out of state. Since Wednesday morning (10:00AM) I have traveled almost 700 miles to my Essemar Horse Farms in the cool parts of Colorado.

The temperature is about 20+ degree cooler here and the elevation is over 6400 feet. It is a nice refreshing, cool break from the heat wave they are having in NW Oklahoma. The grasses in NW Oklahoma were beginning to turn a crispy, golden hue. The farmers are getting their third cutting of alfalfa hay.

It also shows pictures of ranges dating from 1870 thru 1933. I'm trying to find the date of the cook book and suspect it dates to 1934, but that is only a guess. It is a Revised Edition put out by the "Wrought Iron Range Company" as an instructional manual for the Model "CB" Range.

The book mentions it was beginning it's 70th year in operation for the Wrought Iron Range Company, established in 1864, ST. Louis, MO by the Culver brothers.

The brothers also founded the Culver Military Academy located on Lake Maxinkuckee, Culver, Indiana (a preparatory school for boys between the ages of 10 & 18).

The "Home Comfort Cook Book" that I have came with the Model "CB" range and showed instructions for using, installing and cooking on the range. It also has pictures and listing of the parts for the Wrought Iron Range. This is my 1934 Cook Book treasure with old handwritten personal recipes that someone wrote on the inside of the cookbook..

Does anyone have any old Wrought Iron Ranges out there or heard tell of stories from their ancestors about this pioneer antique?

Remember... Forgiveness is what it is all about... Forgive those who trespass against you. If you cant' forgive those, then forgive yourself so you can let go of the past, live in the present and soar into the future.

-- Linda - "Oakie"

Linda K McGill Wagner
c/o WWW Publishing Co -- P.O. Box 18998 -- OKC, OK  73154-0998

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Nation Capitol On the 4th...

I spent the greater part of the afternoon walking around the National Mall. This year there were Exhibits by the Smithsonian that represented cultures in New York and the Caribbean.
      I have only gotten to New York once since I moved to the East coast more than a year and a half ago. You may remember seeing Me and My Colleagues standing in the extreme cold outside the Today Show trying to promote our agencies website and web-based recruitment system (www.americorps.org/vista/main.html) for those individuals that are interested in continued civic engagement to "Make a Difference" (Dorthy E. McGill, NW OK, 1998) in their community.
      Although my screen time only amounted to a couple of seconds, through the magic of the computers and the Internet, those seconds can be relived continuously. I like to think that our efforts in the EXTREME cold that morning paved the way for my boss and Director of AmeriCorps* VISTA to actually get more screen time and a chance to talk to the camera.
      Anyway, my excursion to the Mall on the Fourth of July was only interrupted a couple of times in the afternoon with a couple of quick down pours. Luckily I was able to hide under a couple of food booths to keep from getting soaked. I had a mozzarella cheese steak sandwich on garlic bread and some Mexican bean nachos throughout the afternoon. Throw caution to the wind.
      The Fourth of July only comes once a year. I walked to the capitol steps which were crowded with people waiting and getting confortable to watch the show that gets televised on the national news stations before the fireworks begin in the Nations Capitol.
I ended up finding a place next to the Washington Monument where the fireworks are set off directly overhead. Oh... About 8 PM (or one hour before the Fireworks) there was an major downfall of rain. In the distance, I could see lightning. After realizing that I was on the Mall and getting comfortable next to one of the largest lightning rod (Washington Monument) in DC, I decided to take my soaked self home. I arrived just in time to see the beginning of the fireworks on TV in New York and Washington, DC.
      If you come to see the firework, I highly recommend sitting by the monument. If you come to see entertainment and listen to music at the Nations Capitol, you should arrive early to stake out your spot on the front lawn of the Capitol. This also provides a wonderful back drop for pictures to show that you actually were in Washington, DC.
      If you haven't been to Washington, DC at least once to see the Fourth of July festivities, you really should think about scheduling a trip.
      Remember if you drive, park in the 'Burbs and metro. The traffic is horrible. But I live within walking distance. Jealous?

Mailbag & Links....

Adding Life to Our Years...

SWSA (SWSAging.org) Conference "Adding Life To Our Years", 23rd Annual Professional Development Institute and Trade Show, is being held September 25-29, 2001, at the Crowne Plaza Phoenix Downtown, Phoenix, Arizona.
    The Southwest Society on Aging (SWSA) announces that Hugh Downs, one of the most familiar American television figures in the history of the medium, will keynote their 2001 conference.
    To Register and see what is on the Agenda, General Sessions, Lectures, etc.... Visit their website re: Adding Life To Our Years.

1942 Lucky Strike Package... "The recognized color for a package of Lucky Strike cigarettes had always been green, but in earnest as WWII began many items regarded as essential were rationed or restricted. The American Tobacco Company decided that green was an essential color and determined that they would modify the color of the package and use a slogan such as 'LUCKY STRIKE GREEN HAS GONE TO WAR.' Since those days the package has remained WHITE. If you already knew that, then you are an excellent history student or you actually remember those times of over 50 years ago." -- Ernest

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Does anyone out there remember the "Lucky Strike Hit Parade?". Who were the singers that sang the Top Hits each week? Do you remember... The numbers and performers featured on the Hit Parade? "Song from Moulin Rouge" (June Valli), "Your Cheatin' Heart" (Dorothy Collins), "April in Portugal" (Hit Parade Dancers), "That Doggie In the Window" (Snooky Lanson), "Singin' In the Rain" (Dorothy Collins and the Raymond Scott Quintet), "Till I Waltz Again With You," "Pretend" (June Valli), "Five Foot Two" (Snooky Lanson), and "I Believe."